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2009.10.13
1
Willows whiten, aspens quiver,
Little breezes dusk and
shiver
Thro' the wave that runs forever
By the island in the river
Flowing down to Camelot.
Four grey walls, and four grey towers,
Overlook a space of flowers,
And the silent isle imbowers
The Lady of Shalott.
Piling
sheaves in uplands airy
,
Listening, whispers
Lady of
Shalott.
There she weaves by night and
day
A magic web with colours
gay
.
She has heard a whisper
say
A curse is on her if she stay
To look down on Camelot.
She
knows not what the curse may be,
And so
she weaveth steadily,
Little other care
hath she,
The Lady of Shalott.
MRS. HAMMOND
:
Anne!Anne!
ANNE:
Coming Mrs. Hammond!
MRS.
HAMMOND
:
Anne!
Anne Shirley get in here this instant! It's
alright honey
. Go on, git, git! Watch
it you sloppy girl, that comes right
out of my babyies' mouthes.
ANNE:
I'm sorry
, Mrs.
Hammond, but I was rushing so and it's quite
heavy
. That'll be my share so there
won't be any less for the children.
MRS.
HAMMOND
:
Oh, here, just
take
them and clean them
up.
Well,
if
you'd pay
more attention
to
your chores instead of pouring over
them fool books of yours.
ANNE:
Please! I won't do it
again. It was just so thrilling I couldn't put it
down.
MRS.
HAMMOND
:
Oh, you darn well
won't do
it again. And
if I catch
you reading any
more of them
2
books
of
yours
while
you're
supposed
to
be
looking
after
my
youngens,
they'll
feed the
fire
too,
missy
. Well,
don't
just
stand
there
looking daft! Finish
changing
Meg
and
Peter!
Mr.
Hammond
and
the
men
been
waiting
well
nigh
an
hour
for
their
lunch while you've been dawdling.
ANNE:
I enjoy babies in
moderation, Mrs. Hammond, but twins three times in
succession is too much.
MRS.
HAMMOND
:
What?
ANNE:
I simply
couldn't live here if I hadn't any imagination.
MRS.
HAMMOND
:
I'll take
none of
your
cheek,
Anne
Shirley
. Believe
you
me,
you'll be out on
your
backside
if
I
get another word out of
you. Oh, go on.
Git
going to
the
mill
before
Mr. Hammond takes a whipping to
you. Git!Eat!
MR.
HAMMOND
:
Not those goll-darn
planks!
MAN:
What's the matter?
MR. HAMMOND
:
Not
that junk, idiot!
MAN:
Cut it out! Help! Get out here!
ANNE:
What
happened, Tom?
MAN:
He's been in a temper over lunch.
Screaming and swearing. Y
ou know how he
gets. He wouldn't
stop.
ANNE:
Someone
take the wagon and go for the doctor.
MAN:
He won't be
needing no doctor.
ANNE:
Katie,
I
know
you
understand.
But
if
I
hadn't
lost
myself
in
the
beauty
of
the
day
,..the
only
beauty which has now deceived
me,...poor Mr. Hammond might still be with us.
WOMAN:
There,
there Nora.
He
led a
good
life.
Y
ou
have to
think
about
yourself and
your
youngens
the
mill and come and
live
with
me. And
what
about the
girl? She's a
home
child,
isn't she?
MRS. HAMMOND
:
Y
es.
WOMAN:
She'll have to go back to
the orphanage.
ANNE:
Mrs. Hammond,...you
must
know how
much I want to be of help to
you
in
your time of trial. I
consider it a burden I must bear.
WOMAN:
I was
daft when I took you in. It's all your doing. None
but yours.
ANNE:
I blame
myself entirely,
Mrs.
Hammond. To
have to
wait
and extra
hour
for
lunch
is
a terrible
burden on any
man. I shall never overcome my grief. But going
back to an orphanage would be
3
more than I
could bear. I beg of you, Mrs. Hammond, please let
me stay with you.
WOMAN:
Orphan children are all the same -
trash.
MRS.
HAMMOND
:
Trash.
That's right, Anne Shirley
. Poor,
miserable trash that don't deserve no better.
MRS.
CADBURY:
Mrs.
Hammond,
Ma'am.
Mrs.
Hammond.
I
sent
a
reply
to
your
letter
just
this
morning. I'm afraid we
cannot take the girl. We're overcrowded as it is.
MRS.
HAMMOND
:
But
I've already
had to divide
my own sweet babies among
my
relatives, Ma'am.
She ain't
my responsibility no more. Y
ou have to
take her.
MRS. CADBURY:
Come here, child. Tell me
what you know about yourself.
ANNE:
Well, it really isn't worth
telling, Mrs. Cadbury
. But if you let
me tell you what I imagine about
myself, you'd find it a lot more
interesting
MRS.
HAMMOND
:
Uh, she
was, uh, twelve last March, Ma'am. Uh, born in
Halifax. Both parents died
of
the
fever
when
she
was
just
three
months.
I
took
her
in
from
a
neighbor
last
year to
help
out
with the
youngens,...but
she's been
in and out of orphanages
ever
since she was a wee thing, and
she's not too proud for here.
MRS.
CADBURY:
And
what were your parents' names?
ANNE:
Walter
and
Bertha
Shirley
.
Aren't
they
lovely
names?
I'm
proud
they
had
such
nice
names.
It
would be a disgrace to
have a father called, well, Hezekiah.
MRS. CADBURY:
Doesn't matter what a person's name is,
as long as they behave themselves.
ANNE:
Well,
I
don't
know.
I
read
in
a
book
once
that
a
rose
by
any
other
name
would
smell
as
sweet,...but I was
never able to believe
it. A
rose just couldn't smell as sweet
if
it was a thistle
or a skunk-
cabbage.
MRS.
HAMMOND
:
I don't
know where she picks up them fool ideas. But she's
a real bright little thing,
ain't she?
And she won't be no trouble to
you, I
can promise
you that. Well, this
is
a real Christian place
you
folks
is
running
here...and I sure am
grateful to
you
for
helping me out of this
predicament.
MRS. CADBURY:
Now, Mrs. Hammond,
wait a minute. Mrs. Hammond! We can't
take
her
for at
least
another month! There
are papers to be signed!
MRS.
HAMMOND
:
Lady
, I got a train to
catch.
ANNE:
Katie...I'm glad we have each other.
It's so difficult finding a kindred spirit these
days.
MRS. CADBURY:
Anne Shirley
,
get undressed at once. Have you no respect for
rules and regulations.
ANNE:
I'm sorry
, Mrs.
Cadbury
, but I wasn't paying attention.
4
MRS. CADBURY:
Y
ou haven't been paying
attention for the past six months.
ANNE:
Oh, I know
I'll improve. It's just that my life is perfect
graveyard of buried hopes, now. That's a
sentence I read once...and
I say it over to comfort myself in these times
that try the soul.
MRS.
CADBURY:
We've
had
a
request
for
two
of
our
girls
to
live
with
families
in
Prince
Edward
Island. And
I've decided that you will be one of them.
ANNE:
Oh, thank
you, Mrs. Cadbury
. Thank you with all
my heart.
MRS. CADBURY:
It's
not
my
wish
to reward
rebelliousness, but...for
the
good of discipline,
it seems
that I
must. Perhaps this
new
family of
yours can shatter this dream
world that
you
live in. Now, get into your nightgown
and go to bed.
ANGUS
:
Are you
waiting for someone, Miss?
ANNE:
I am, thank you.
ANGUS
:
Would you prefer to sit in the ladies'
waiting room?
ANNE:
No,
I
prefer
to
sit
here.
There's
so
much
more
scope
for
the
imagination.
Thank
you
just
the
same.
ANGUS
:
As you
like, Miss.
RACHEL:
Thomas! Isn't that Matthew Cuthbert
driving that buggy?
THOMAS
:
Appears to be.
RACHEL:
Well, he never goes to town
this time of year,...and he never wears a suit
except in church.
THOMAS
:
Maybe he's
going courting.
RACHEL:
Don't
be
so
utterly
ridiculous,
Thomas.
He's
not
going
fast
enough
for
a
doctor.
Oh,
my
afternoon
is
spoiled!
I
won't
have
a
moments
peace
'til
I
know
what
that
man
is
up
to.
Wearing his suit. Marilla is simply
going to have to explain all this.
RACHEL:
Y
ou, who. Marilla.
MARILLA:
Ah,
Rachel, good morning. And how are all the Lyndes?
RACHEL:
Oh,
we're
alright
as
rain,
Marilla,...but
I
was
kind
of
worried
about
you
when
I
saw
your
brother
drive by just now.
MARILLA:
Oh, I'm fine. Just fine. Appreciate the
concern though.
RACHEL:
But he was in his suit...and smoking
his pipe.
MARILLA:
Well,
I
don't
mind
so
long
as
he
smokes
his
pipe
in
the
great
outdoors
and
not
in
my
kitchen.
RACHEL:
He was
in his suit.
5
MARILLA:
Yes,
Rachel.
RACHEL:
Well, Matthew never goes to town this
time of year.
MARILLA:
Matthew wasn't going to town.
RACHEL:
Oh,
don't keep me in such suspense.
MARILLA:
He was
going to Bright River. We're getting a little boy
from an orphanage in Nova Scotia,
and
he's coming in on the afternoon train.
RACHEL:
A
boy?!
Y
ou
can't
be
serious.
Well,
you
don't
know
anything
about
raising
children.
Whatever put such
an idea into your head?
MARILLA:
Well...
Matthew
is
getting
along
in
years.
He's
not
as
spry
as
he
once
was
and...his
heart
bothers him
greatly
. Mrs. Spencer was up here
before Christmas and said she was getting a
little girl from the Hopeton Asylum in
the spring. Matthew and I gave it good
consideration.
So, we sent word to her
by her niece, Roberta,...to tell her to bring us a
boy home while she
was at it.
RACHEL:
I shall
be surprised at nothing after this. Nothing.
MARILLA:
We told
her to
fix
us
up with a
little
boy
,
eleven or
twelve... Old enough to do
the chores,
and young enough
to be brought up properly.
RACHEL:
Y
ou know I pride
myself on speaking
my
mind.
And
let
me tell
you, I
think
you're doing a
mighty risky thing. I
wish
you'd consulted
me
first. Well,
it was just
last week, I read
in the
paper...where a couple took a boy
from an orphan asylum
and
he set
fire to their
house
at
night.
On purpose. Burnt them to a crisp in their beds.
MARILLA:
Well,
I
won't
say
that
I
haven't
had
my
qualms,
Rachel.
But
Matthew
was
so
terrible
determined and it's
so seldom that he sets his mind on anything that I
felt I had to give in.
RACHEL:
And there was another case,
six months ago over in New Brunswick...where an
asylum child
put
strychnine
in
the
well
and
the
entire
family
died
in
agony
.
Only
,
it
was
a
girl
in
that
instance.
MARILLA:
Well,
we are not getting a girl.
RACHEL:
Woap.
ANGUS
:
Oh, how do, Matthew?
MATTHEW:
Hello,
Angus. Is the afternoon train due soon?
ANGUS
:
Well,
been
and
gone
a
half
an
hour
ago.
There
was
a
passenger
dropped
off
for
you.
She's
waiting for you on the
platform.
6
MATTHEW:
She?
ANGUS
:
Not to worry
, Matthew. I
don't think she bites.
MATTHEW:
Well, it's a boy I've come
for.
ANGUS
:
Oh, she won't have any trouble
explaining. She has a tongue of her own.
ANNE:
I suppose
you're Mr. Matthew Cuthbert. My name is Anne
Shirley
. Anne is spelled with an
I was beginning to be afraid you
weren't coming for me today
,...so I
made up my mind to climb
up
that
big,
wild
cherry
tree
and
wait
for
you
till
morning.
It
would
be
lovely
to
sleep
in
a
cherry tree all silvery in
the moonshine, don't you think?
MATTHEW:
Oh, yes
it would. I mean, no. I mean, there's been a big
mistake.
ANNE:
Oh, no, there's no mistake; not if
you're Mr. Matthew Cuthbert. Y
ou are
Mr. Matthew Cuthbert,
aren't
you? Mrs. Spencer
told
me to
wait right here
for
you, and so I've done,
most pleasantly I
must
say
. Oh, this is beautiful country you
have here, Mr. Cuthbert.
MATTHEW:
I'm sorry I was late.
ANNE:
No, no,
that's
fine,
thank
you. It's very
light and
thin,
like
me.
I better
hold on
to
my bag.
If
it
isn't carried
in a certain
way
,
the
handle
falls off. I
mastered the trick of
it on
my journey
. It's a
very old carpet bag. Not at all
the sort of
luggage I
imagine the Lady of Shalott would
travel
with,......but of
course
hers
would be suited
to a
horse-drawn pavilion
and
not a
train. Oh, I'm
very
glad
you've
come,...even
if
it
would
have been
nice to sleep
in a
wild cherry
tree. We've
got
a
long
piece
to
drive
yet,
haven't
we?
Oh,
I'm
glad,
because
I
love
driving.
It
seems
so
wonderful that I'm gonna
live with you and belong to you. I've never really
belonged to anyone
before,...and the
asylum
was
the worst place
I've
lived
in
yet. Mrs. Spencer says
it
was wicked
of
me
to
talk
like
that,
but
I
don't
mean
to
be
wicked.
It's
just
so
easy
to
be
wicked
without
knowing
it,
isn't
it? Am
I talking too
much? Oh, people are
always telling
me I do, and I
can
stop if I make my mind
up to do it.
MATTHEW:
Y
ou can talk all you like. I
don't mind.
ANNE:
Oh, I know
you and I are
going to
get along just
fine, Mr. Cuthbert. I
love
this place already
. I
always heard that Prince Edward Island
was the most beautiful place in Canada,..and I
used to
imagine I was
living
here. This
is
the
first dream that
has ever
come true
for
me. It's
always
been one of
my dreams
to
live by
the sea.
These red roads are
so
peculiar. When we
got
into
the train at Charlottetown and the
red roads began
to
flash past,... I
asked Mrs.
Spencer what
made
them
red,...and
she
said
she
didn't
know
and
for
pity's
sake
not
to
ask
her
any
more
7
questions.
Dreams don't often come true, do they
Mr. Cuthbert? Just
now, I
feel pretty
nearly
perfectly happy
. I can't
feel exactly perfectly happy
,
because,...what color would you call this?
MATTHEW:
Red?
ANNE:
Red.
That's why I can't ever be perfectly
happy
. I know I'm skinny and
a
little
freckled and
my
eyes are green. I can
imagine I have a beautiful rose-leaf
complexion...and lovely
, starry violet
eyes,...but I cannot
imagine
my red hair away
. It'll be
my
life-long sorrow. I read
of a
girl
in a
novel
once
who
was
divinely
beautiful.
Have
you
ever
imagined
what
it
must
be
like
to
be
divinely
beautiful?
Oh,
I
have
often.
Which
would
you
rather
be?
Divinely
beautiful,
or
dazzlingly clever, or angelically good?
MATTHEW:
Well, I
don't know.
ANNE:
Neither do I. I know I'll never be
angelically good... Mrs. Spencer says I talk so
much that... Mr.
Cuthbert. Mr.
Cuthbert, what is this place called?
MATTHEW:
The
Avenue. Pretty
, ain't it?
ANNE:
Pretty
doesn't
seem
the
right
word
to
use.
Nor
beautiful
either;
it
don't
go
far
enough.
It
is
wonderful. Wonderful.
They shouldn't call this lovely place,
in a name like that. They should call
it,
could ever have imagined.
MATTHEW:
That's
Barry's pond.
ANNE:
Oh, is the Lake of Shining Waters.
That's its rightful name. Do things like this ever
give
you a thrill, Mr. Cuthbert?
MATTHEW:
Well,...picking up them ugly white
grubs in the cucumber bed.
ANNE:
Y
es, I can see
how that could be very thrilling.
MATTHEW:
Woap.
Green Gables, yonder.
ANNE:
I've pinched myself so many times today
to make sure that this was real. But it is real
and we're
nearly home. I'm overwhelmed.
MARILLA:
Matthew
Cuthbert, who is that?
MATTHEW:
It's a girl.
MARILLA:
I can
see that. Where's the boy?
MATTHEW:
There
weren't
any
. Just
her. I
figured we
just couldn't
leave
her
there
no
matter what
the
mistake was.
MARILLA:
Y
ou figured? Oh, this is a
fine kettle of fish. This is what comes of sending
word, instead of
8
going ourselves, Matthew.
ANNE:
Y
ou
don't
want
me?
Y
ou
don't
want
me
because
I'm
not
a
boy?
Nobody
ever
did
want
me.
I
might have known this was
all too beautiful to be true.
MARILLA:
Come, come. Now don't
cry
. It is not your fault.
ANNE:
This is
just the most tragical thing that has ever
happened to me.
MARILLA:
Well, what's your name?
ANNE:
Would you
please call me Cordelia?
MARILLA:
Call you Cordelia?
ANNE:
Don't you
think it's a pretty name?
MARILLA:
Is that your name?
ANNE:
Well, no,
it's not exactly my name,... But, oh, I would love
to be called Cordelia.
MARILLA:
I don't understand what you
mean.
ANNE:
Cordelia is a perfectly elegant name.
MARILLA:
What is
your name child, and no more nonsense?
ANNE:
Anne
Shirley
. Plain, old, unromantic Anne
Shirley
.
MARILLA:
Anne Shirley is a fine,
sensible name, and hardly one to be ashamed of.
ANNE:
Oh, I'm
not ashamed,...but if you are going to call me
Anne, would you please be sure to spell it
with an
MARILLA:
What difference does it make how it is
spelled?
ANNE:
It
makes a
lot of
difference. Print out
it
looks absolutely dreadful,...but Anne
with
an
is quite
distinguished. So
if
you'll
only call
me Anne with an
try and
reconcile
myself to not being called Cordelia.
MARILLA:
V
ery
well
then,
Anne,
with
an
is
it
that
you
happened
to
be
brought
and
not
a
boy?
ANNE:
If I were very beautiful
and had nut-brown hair, would you keep me?
MARILLA:
No. We
have absolutely no use for a girl. Well, don't
stand there gaping. Come along. Bring
your bag. Now that
you're
here, I
suppose
we'll
have to put
you somewhere tonight.
Take
off your hat. Y
ou must be
hungry
.
ANNE:
I can't eat. I can never eat when I'm
in the depths of despair.
MARILLA:
The depths of despair?
ANNE:
Can you
eat when you're that way?
9
MARILLA:
I've never been that way
.
ANNE:
Can't you
even imagine you're in the depths of despair?
MARILLA:
No, I
can not. To despair is to turn your back on God.
This is your room for the night. Wash
up and then come down for supper.
ANNE:
Y
es, Miss Cuthbert.
MARILLA:
I'm
taking
her
straight
over
to
that
Spencer
woman
in
the
morning.
This
girl
has
to
go
straight back to the
asylum.
MATTHEW:
I suppose.
MARILLA:
Y
ou suppose?
Don't you know it?
MATTHEW:
She's
a
nice
little
thing,
Marilla.
Seems
a
pity
to
send
her
back.
She's...
she's
so
set
on
staying.
MARILLA:
Matthew
Cuthbert, I believe this child has bewitched you.
I can see plain as plain you want
to
keep her.
MATTHEW:
We could hire a boy
, and she
can be company for you.
MARILLA:
I'm
not
suffering
for
company
,...particularly
a
girl
who
prattles
on
without
stopping
for
breath. She's no good
for us. She has to go straight back where she came
from.
MATTHEW:
Well, we might be of some good to her.
MARILLA:
Good
night, Anne with an
ANNE:
It's difficult to say goodnight, when
it's the worst night I've ever known.
MARILLA:
Good
night, just the same, child.
ANNE:
Goodnight. Miss Cuthbert.
MATTHEW:
Little
Jerry
Buote
from the Creek
was around.
I told
him I
guess that I'd
hire
him on
for
the
summer.
MARILLA:
Hurry up, child!
ANNE:
I'm just
fixing
Green Gables
in
my
memory
. In
years to come I'm
gonna
look back on Green
Gables as
a beautiful dream that will always haunt me. Don't
you think it's romantic...
MARILLA:
Y
ou can think
about it as you drive along.
ANNE:
I shall never forget your
kindness, Mr. Cuthbert.
MRS.
SPENCER:
Marilla.
Marilla,
dear.
Y
ou're
the
last
person
I
ever
expected
to
see
today
.
I'd
had
imagined you would be
getting Anne settled. How are you Anne?
ANNE:
As well as
a victim of tragic circumstances could be, Mrs.
Spencer.
10
MARILLA:
There
seems to be some queer mistake, Sarah. We told
Roberta for you to get us a boy
.
MRS. SPENCER:
Oh, Marilla, you don't say
.
Well, Roberta distinctly said that you wanted a
girl.
MARILLA:
I
knew I should have gone myself.
MRS.
SPENCER:
I am dreadfully
sorry
, Marilla.
MARILLA:
I suppose the asylum will
take the child back.
MRS. SPENCER:
Well, as a
matter of
fact,...Mrs.
Blewett was
up
here
yesterday asking
me
if I could
get
her a little girl. She has such a large family,
you know. Ten children and another
one
on the way
, she's simply beside herself
for help.
ANNE:
Excuse me, Mrs. Spencer, would there
happen to be any twins among them?
MRS.
SPENCER:
Oh, she has two
sets of twins. How did you know, child?
ANNE:
Twins seem
to be my lot in life.
MRS. SPENCER:
Anne, you'll be just the
girl. And, oh, look, there's Mrs. Blewett this
blessed minute.
I
call
this
positively
providential.
Y
ou,
who,
Mrs.
Blewett.
Mrs.
Blewett,
Anne
Shirley
.
She'll be just the thing for you.
MRS.
BLEWETT:
Miss Cuthbert.
MARILLA:
Mrs.
Blewett.
MRS. BLEWETT:
How old are you, girl.
ANNE:
Thirteen.
MRS.
BLEWETT:
Ain't
much to
you... but
you're wiry
...and
I don't know but the
wiry
ones
can work
the hardest.
I'll expect you
to earn
your
keep, no
mistaking that. And I
want
you to
act
smart
and
be
respectful.
Alright,
I'll
take
her.
My
twins
have
been
awful
fractious these days and I'm terrible
worn out.
MARILLA:
Well, now, I don't know.I feel I
oughtn't to make a decision until I speak to
Matthew.I'll just
take her home again
and talk to him. Good afternoon, ladies.
ANNE:
Miss
Cuthbert, did you really say it or did I only just
image it?
MARILLA:
I
haven't
said
anything
yet,
young
lady
,
except
I
want
to
speak
to
Matthew.
Sending
you
back
to
the
orphanage
is
one
thing.
Handing
you
over
to
the
likes
of
Matilda
Blewett
is
another.
ANNE:
I'd rather
go back
to the asylum
than
live with
her. Two sets of
twins! Oof.
Besides, she
looks
exactly like a gimlet.
MARILLA:
Y
ou should be ashamed of
yourself, speaking of a stranger that
way
. Hold your tongue and
11
don't
criticize your elders.
ANNE:
I'll try and do anything
and be anything you want,...if you'll only keep
me, Miss Cuthbert.
MARILLA:
Well,
aren't
you
going
to
say
anything,
Matthew?
I
wouldn't
give
a
dog
I
liked
to
that
Blewett woman. It
makes
no sense to keep her. But
if
we did keep her,...I'd expect you
not
to
interfere
with
my
old
maid
like
me
may
not
know
much
about
raising
a
child,...but
I
know
a
darn
sight
more
than
an
old
bachelor
like
you.
Oh,
she
could
talk
a
hind leg of a mule, that's
certain. Oh, wouldn't that be a change around
here?
MARILLA:
Have you said your prayers?
ANNE:
I never
say any prayers.
MARILLA:
What do you mean? Haven't you been
taught to say your prayers?
ANNE:
Mrs.
Hammond
told
me that
God
made
my
hair red
on purpose, and
I've
never
cared
for
him
since.
MARILLA:
Well, while you are under my roof, you
will say your prayers.
ANNE:
Why
, of course,
if you want me to. How does one do it?
MARILLA:
Well,
you kneel beside the bed.
ANNE:
That's the part I never
really could understand. Why must people kneel
down to pray? If I really
wanted
to
pray
,
I'd
go
out
into
a
great,
big
field,
all
alone,...and
I'd
look
up
into
the
sky
.
I'd
imagine
it
was
the
dome
of
a
great
cathedral,...and
then
I'd
close
my
eyes
and
just
feel
the
prayer.
What am I to say?
MARILLA:
Well,
I
think
you're
old
enough
to
think
of
your
own
prayer.
Y
ou...thank
God
for
his
blessings
and then humbly ask him for the things you want.
ANNE:
I'll do my
best. Dear Gracious, Heavenly Father, I thank you
for everything. As for the things I
especially
want,...they're
so
numerous
it
would
take
a
great
deal
of
time
to
mention
them
all,...so I'll just
mention
the two
most
important. Please,
let
me stay at Green
Gables. Please,
make
me
beautiful
when
I
grow
up.
I
remain
yours
respectfully,
Anne
Shirley
,...with
an
Did I do
alright?
MARILLA:
Yes, if you were addressing a business
letter to the catalog store. Get into bed.
ANNE:
I
should
have
said
instead
of
respectfully
Do
you
think
it
will
make
any
difference?
MARILLA:
I expect God will overlook
it. This time. Good night.
ANNE:
Good night, Miss Cuthbert.
12
MARILLA:
That
girl is next door to a perfect heathen.
ANNE:
Good
morning, Miss Cuthbert. Where's Matthew?
MARILLA:
He had
his breakfast hours ago. Been on the fields ever
since. Why?
ANNE:
I see I'll
have to be
up before the break of day
if
I'm to
say
good
morning to Matthew.
That
is
if...
MARILLA:
If
what?
ANNE:
Please, Miss Cuthbert, tell
me
if
you're
gonna send
me back. I made up
my
mind to be patient,
but just can't bear it any longer.
MARILLA:
Well,
you'll
just
have
to bear
it, because
I simply
don't know. I thought
maybe we'd put
it
on trial for a
while......for all our sakes. Would that suit you?
ANNE:
If you
think it's necessary
, Miss Cuthbert.
MARILLA:
I do.
Y
ou may not be happy with two old
grumps like us.
ANNE:
I know I would be. I'd be happier than
even I can imagine at this present moment.
MARILLA:
Come.
While
you're
eating
your
breakfast,
I
want
you
to
learn
that.
Y
ou
need
a
little
religion in your life as bad as you
need fattening up.
ANNE:
which art
in
heaven, hallowed be thy
name.
That
is
just
like a
line
of
music. I'm
glad you
thought of making me learn this, Miss Cuthbert.
MARILLA:
Why
, learn it then, and hold
your tongue.
ANNE:
Y
es, ma'am.
MARILLA:
Oh,
good
Lord,
here
comes
Rachel
Lynde.
Anne,
take
that
card
into
the
parlor,
and
then
you come back here on
your best behavior. I don't want her knowing
you're a heathen.
RACHEL:
Good morning, Marilla.
MARILLA:
Come
in, Rachel.
RACHEL:
I'm shocked at this horrendous mistake
I've heard about.
MARILLA:
I've gotten over the shock myself.
RACHEL:
Couldn't
you send her back?
MARILLA:
Well, we're still considering on it.
RACHEL:
Considering on
it? What
is there
to consider?
I
mean, a boy
would
have been bad enough,
but..
MARILLA:
This is a friend and neighbor of .
Rachel Lynde. Anne Shirley
.
ANNE:
How do you
do, Mrs. Lynde?
13
RACHEL:
Well,
her
looks
are certainly
nothing to consider.
I
mean
she's
terribly skinny and
homely,
Marilla. Come over here, child. Lawful
heart! Her hair is as red as carrots!
ANNE:
How
dare
you
say
I'm
skinny
and...carrots!
Y
ou're
a
rude,
impolite,
unfeeling
woman,
and
I
hate you!
MARILLA:
Anne
Shirley!
ANNE:
How
would
you
like
to
have
nasty
things
said
about
you?
How would
you
like to be told that
you're fat, and ugly, and a sour old
gossip.
MARILLA:
Anne Shirley! Anne Shirley
,
you come back at once and apologize!
RACHEL:
Mark my
words, Marilla. That's the kind to put strychnine
in the well.
MARILLA:
Y
ou shouldn't have twitted
her about her looks.
RACHEL:
Marilla Cuthbert!
MARILLA:
I'm
not
making
excuses
for
her.
Perhaps
she
was
never
taught
what
was
right,...but
you
were too hard on her,
Rachel.
RACHEL:
I see I'll have to be very careful what
I say from now on. Oh, I'm not vexed, Marilla. I'm
too
sorry for you to leave any room for
anger in my mind. It's obvious to me that the good
sense
I
admire
in
you,
left
you
when
that
child
walked
in
your
door!
Goodbye,
Marilla.
Come
down and see
me when you
can.
But don't expect
me
to visit
here again
if I'm to be treated
in such
a fashion.
MARILLA:
Goodbye, Rachel. When I said trial, I
had no idea you'd take me literally
. Of
all the people,
you would pick on
Rachel Lynde.
ANNE:
She hadn't any right to say what she
did.
MARILLA:
Rachel is too outspoken. But she is
your elder, a stranger, and my guest, not to
mention my
friend...all
of
them
very
good
reasons
for
you
to
have
bit
your
tongue.
She
deserves
an
apology
. Y
ou will
go to her, and you will give it.
ANNE:
I
can
never
do
that.
Y
ou
can
punish
me
any
way
you
like.
Y
ou
can
lock
me
up
in
a
dark
dungeon inhabited by snakes and toads,
and feed me on bread and water. I won't complain.
But
I cannot ask Mrs. Lynde to forgive
me.
MARILLA:
If you expect
to remain under my roof, you will apologize to
Mrs. Lynde.
ANNE:
Then you'll have to send me back.
MATTHEW:
Rachel
Lynde deserves what she gets.
MARILLA:
Matthew
Cuthbert,
don't
form
opinions
for
me.
Next
you'll
be
saying
she
oughtn't
to
be
14
punished at all.
MATTHEW:
I haven't been upstairs in
this house in four years. I guess you're leaving
then, hunh?
ANNE:
Oh, Matthew, I'd rather die than
apologize to Mrs. Lynde. That would be so
humiliating.
MATTHEW:
Well,
Marilla
is
a
terrible
determined
woman.
Y
ou
don't
have
to
be
exactly
sorry
,
you
know. Y
ou can
just be... sort of sorry
.
ANNE:
I'm not
sorry at all.
MATTHEW:
I
hear
Mrs.
Blewett's
an
awful
work-horse.
And
it'll
be
terrible
lonesome
around
here
without you. Couldn't you just kind of
smooth it over?
ANNE:
Y
ou really don't want me to
go, do you? I'd do anything for you, Matthew, if
you really wanted
me to.
MATTHEW:
Of
course I do.
ANNE:
We can't
let Mrs. Lynde be
the cause of our parting. I don't have to be
really
sorry
... I just have
to remove the disgrace I
brought upon Marilla's good name.
MATTHEW:
Don't
tell Marilla that I said anything. She'll say I'm
interfering.
ANNE:
Wild horses couldn't drag it from me.
Miss Cuthbert?
MARILLA:
What is it?
ANNE:
I'm sorry I lost my temper
and said those rude things, and I'm willing to go
and tell Mrs. Lynde
so.
MARILLA:
I
think
that's
a
wise
decision.
I'll
take
you
over
first
thing.
Now
get
up
to
bed,
and
don't
forget to say your
prayers.
ANNE:
Y
es, ma'am.
MARILLA:
I knew
that
if we
left
her alone,
she'd
come to
her senses. Hurry up, Anne.
What are
you
muttering
about?
ANNE:
I
was just imagining out what I must say to Mrs.
Lynde. Miss Cuthbert, you look so elegant!
MARILLA:
Y
ou don't make an important
visit in kitchen clothes.
ANNE:
I think amethysts are
lovely. That's what I used to imagine diamonds
were like, and then I saw a
real
diamond in a ladies...
MARILLA:
Oh,
for
goodness
sake,
child!
Bite
your
tongue,
and
come
along.
Good
morning
Rachel.
Anne has something to say to you.
ANNE:
Mrs.
Lynde,... I'm extremely sorry I behaved so
terribly
. I disgraced my good friends
who've let
me stay at
Green
Gables on trial, even though I'm
not a
boy
. I am
wicked and
ungrateful, and I
15
deserve to be
cast out
forever. What
you
said was true;
I am skinny
and
ugly
,
and
my
hair
is
red.
What
I
said
about
you
was
true
too,
only
I
shouldn't
have
said
it.
Please,
Mrs.
Lynde,
forgive
me.
Y
ou
wouldn't be so cruel as
to
inflict a
life-long sorrow
on a poor orphan. Please.
Please,
forgive me.
RACHEL:
There, there, child, of course
I
forgive
you.
I
guess
I was a
bit
hard. But
you
mustn't
mind
me;
I'm known
throughout these
parts as a
woman who
speaks
her
mind.
And
don't worry
about
your
hair.
I knew a
girl
once who
had
hair every bit as
red as
yours,... but when she
grew
up, it darkened into a real handsome auburn.
ANNE:
Y
ou have given me hope, Mrs.
Lynde. I shall always think of you as a
benefactress.
RACHEL:
Marilla,...what
this
child
needs
is
discipline
and
a
proper
education.
The
Sunday
School
picnic
is
scheduled
this
week
for
Barry's
field.
I
want
you
to
take
Anne,
so
she
can
meet
some
civilized children her own age. Her tongue appears
to be hinged in the middle, but she
may
turn out alright.
MARILLA:
I'm sure you're right, Rachel.
RACHEL:
And
trial or no trial, you ought to put the girl into
school.
MARILLA:
Putting you in school doesn't mean a
decision. It's just as easy to take you out as put
you in.
ANNE:
I
understand, Miss Cuthbert, but it does give a
person reason to hope.
MARILLA:
I've seen some shocking
behavior from you, Anne Shirley
, and it
does give a person reason
to doubt.
Understand?
ANNE:
My temper will never get the better of
me again, even though I am red-haired.
MARILLA:
I
hope
not.
Good
behavior
in
the
first
place
is
more
important
than
theatrical
apologies
afterwards.
ANNE:
Since, I
had to do it, I thought I might as well do it
thoroughly
.
MARILLA:
Save your thoroughness for
prayer. And the praying that counts, is the
praying that's sincere.
God does not
want you for a fair-weather friend.
ANNE:
The only
real friend I ever had was Katie Morris, and she
was only my window friend.
MARILLA:
Window friend?
ANNE:
I
discovered
her
in the window
of Mrs.
Thomas' bookcase. It
was
the only window
that
hadn't
been
smashed
by
her
intoxicated
husband.
I
lived
with
them
before
the
Hammonds.
I
used
to
wish I knew the spell to
step through the glass into Katie's world, which
was so beautiful.
MARILLA:
I don't think you should have window
friends anymore.
16
ANNE:
My greatest wish, apart from staying at
Green Gables, would be to have a bosom friend.
MARILLA:
A what
kind of friend?
ANNE:
A bosom friend; a really kindred
spirit. I've dreamt of meeting her all my life.
MARILLA:
Diana
Barry
lives
over
there
on
Orchard
Slope.
She's
about
your
age.
Her
parents
are
sponsoring the picnic next Sunday and
you can meet her.
ANNE:
Diana of the Lake of Shining Waters.
MARILLA:
For
mercy's sake child. Y
ou set your heart
too much on silly names.
ANNE:
What
should I call you? May I call you Aunt Marilla?
MARILLA:
No.
Y
ou can call
me just plain
Marilla. I don't believe
in calling
people
names that are
not
their own.
ANNE:
But you could imagine you were my aunt.
MARILLA:
No, I
could not.
ANNE:
Don't you ever imagine things
differently from what they are?
MARILLA:
No.
ANNE:
Oh,
Marilla, how much you miss.
MARILLA:
How do you like them?
ANNE:
I can
imagine, I like them.
MARILLA:
What's the matter with
them?
ANNE:
They
... they're not...
they're not very pretty
.
MARILLA:
I'm
not
going
to
pamper
your
vanity
.
These are
good and sensible dresses. This one
is
for
Sunday
, and the others you
can wear to school.
ANNE:
I am greatful, but I'd be even more
grateful if you'd make this one with puffed
sleeves.
MARILLA:
I
can
not
waste
material
on
ridiculous
looking
frills
and
furbelows.
Plain
and
sensible
is
best.
ANNE:
I always dreamed of going to a picnic
in puffed sleeves. I'd rather look ridiculous with
everyone
else than plain and sensible
all by myself.
MARILLA:
Trust you for that. Have you seen my
amethyst brooch?
ANNE:
Y
es.
MARILLA:
Did you touch it?
ANNE:
I pinned
it on yesterday
, but just to see what
it looked like.
MARILLA:
Y
ou had no business to
meddle with my brooch. Where did you put it?
17
ANNE:
Back on
the pin cushion. Honestly, Marilla, I didn't mean
to meddle, and I promise I'll never do
it again. That's the one good thing
about me; I never do the same wrong thing twice.
MARILLA:
The
brooch is gone and you were the last one to handle
it. Did you take it out and lose it?
ANNE:
I didn't.
MARILLA:
Anne
Shirley
,
you are
telling
me a
falsehood. Go
to your room.
And
you will
stay
in
your
room
until you confess, even if it takes a month of
Sundays.
ANNE:
If you let me out for the picnic, I'll
stay in my room as long as you like. I just have
to go to the
picnic.
MARILLA:
Y
ou are not going to the
picnic or anywhere else until you tell me the
truth.
ANNE:
If
I don't go to the picnic, how will I ever make a
bosom friend, or any friend at all?
MARILLA:
That
brooch
meant
a
great
deal
to
me;
more
than
any
picnic.
Now
you
go
to
your
room.
I've
looked in every crack and cranny
.
Y
ou might as well face it, Matthew;
she’s
taken that
brooch and lied about it. I feel worse
about that than the brooch.
MATTHEW:
Are you sure it didn't fall
behind the bureau?
MARILLA:
I moved the bureau. I even checked the
cracks in the floor. I know how you feel, Matthew.
And
in
my
heart
I
was
prepared
to
let
you
have
your
way
,
but...now
I
realize
that
I
was
right not
to be too hasty
. We can't keep a liar
and a thief, Matthew, and you know it.
ANNE:
Marilla,
I'm ready to confess.
MARILLA:
What have you to say for
yourself?
ANNE:
I took
the brooch because
I
was
too
overcome with
irresistable
temptation. I was
imagining
I
was
Lady
Cordelia
Fitzgerald,
and
I
just
had
to
wear
the
brooch
over
the
footbridge
of
the
Lake of Shining Waters,
with
the
wind blowing
my auburn
hair over
to Camelot. I
thought I
could put
it back before
you came
home, but as
I
leaned over to
look at
my reflection
in
the
lake, it
slipped from my fingers and sank beneath the
rippling waves. That's the best I can do at
confessing. Now may I go to the picnic?
MARILLA:
No.
ANNE:
I realize
the importance of the brooch, Marilla.
MARILLA:
Was it
a keepsake from a tragic romance?
ANNE:
Y
ou did say I
could go if I confessed.
MARILLA:
What
you
can
do,
is
pack
your
bags
and
start
imagining
your
life
with
Mrs.
Blewett.
Rachel
Lynde
was
right.
I
can't
imagine
how
I
let
that
child
worm
her
way
into
my
18
affections. I'm furious at
myself for having let this happen.
MATTHEW:
Marilla!
MARILLA:
What ever made you say that
you took it and lost it?
ANNE:
Y
ou said
you'd keep
me
in
my room
until
I
confessed. So I
just thought
up a
good confession
and made it as interesting as I could.
MARILLA:
But it
was still a lie.
ANNE:
Y
ou wouldn't believe the
truth.
MARILLA:
Y
ou do beat all, child. But,
I'll
forgive you
if
you'll
forgive
me. Now... Y
ou
get dressed
for
service.
MR BARRY:
Hello, Miss Cuthbert.
MARILLA:
Good
afternoon, Mr. Barry
.
I'd like you to meet Anne
Shirley
.
MR BARRY:
Hello.
ANNE:
How do you do, Mr. Barry?
MR BARRY:
Y
ou should meet my daughter,
Diana. She's over there in the garden. Matthew...
MARILLA:
For
pity's
sake,
calm
down,
Anne.
And
don't
make
any
of
your
fabulous
speeches.
Goodness knows what Rachel has told
them already about you.
ANNE:
Oh, you'd be excited too,
if you were gonna eat icecream for the first time
in your life.
RACHEL:
Ah, Marilla. Anne.
MARILLA:
Rachel. Reverend Allan.
Mrs. Allan.
RACHEL:
Oh,
this
is
the
orphan
girl
that
the
Cuthberts
are
looking
after.
Anne
Shirley
,
this
is
the
Reverend and Mrs. Allan.
MRS. ALLAN:
How
are you, Anne?
ANNE:
Well in body
, although
considerably ruffled in spirit, thank you. There
wasn't anything shocking
in that, was
there, Marilla?
MRS. ALLAN:
We
must try our best to
relieve
your jitters. Won't
you
and Anne join
us
for tea, Miss
Cuthbert?
MARILLA:
I've been counting on you
coming to Green Gables, now that you've moved into
the manse.
MR.
ALLAN:
I've
given
Elsbeth
tremendous
reports
about
your
home
baking,
and
your
red
current
wine, Miss Cuthbert.
She's anxious to learn your secrets.
:
Marilla, I'm so pleased you
could come. This must be Anne we've heard so much
about.
This is my Diana. Perhaps Anne
would like some icecream and lemonade, Diana.
19
MRS. ALLAN:
I
think she's enchanting.
:
Will you keep her then, Marilla?
MARILLA:
Well,
if
she can avoid catastophe
two days
in a row, I
might
have a chance to
make
up
my
mind.
ANNE:
Marilla
has given me strict instructions not to talk a
head off. I do have a habit of chattering on
so.
Why
,
if
I
could
imagine
myself
as
a
bird,
a
magpie
would
probably
be
the
closest
thing
I
could
resemble.
Oh,
Diana,
I've
always
dreamed
of
being
in
a
three-legged
race
at
a
picnic.
Would you do me the honor of being my
partner?
DIANA:
But there aren't any other girls in it.
ANNE:
Y
ou're a sturdy looking
girl, and I'm fast. I know we'd stand a good
chance.
DIANA:
I guess so.
ANNE:
Come on!
GILBERT:
Hey
Diana, who's your friend?
DIANA:
Anne Shirley
.
:
On your
marks.
Get set. I never
expected a daughter of
mine
to outrun the boys.
I'm
very
proud of
you, Diana.
ANNE:
I think we're heroic winners, Diana.
Don't you?
DIANA:
I
think
it's
a
shame
that
Gilbert
had
to
lose
on
account
of
Moody
.
Don't
you
think
Gilbert's
handsome?
ANNE:
He is
handsome. But I think your Gilbert is awfully bold
to wink at a strange girl.
DIANA:
I wish
he'd
wink at
me.
He's
sixteen, but
he's
in our
class.
His
father's been
ill
and
he's been
away for two years.
ANNE:
Good. I mean, I don't wanna
be the only one who's behind in school.
DIANA:
That's
Mr. Phillips, our school teacher. He's dead-gone
on Prissy
Andrews, and Prissy thinks
she's
queen
bee
just
because
she's
studying
her
entrance
to
Queens.
He
moons
over
her
something
terrible.
That's
Josie
Pye,
and
she
mooned
over
Gilbert.
Oh,
Josie
just
wants
attention. I hope she nearly drowns.
ANNE:
I wish it
had been me. It would be such a romantic
experience nearly to drown.
DIANA:
I
heard
before
that
you're
a
kind
of
a
strange
girl,
Anne
Shirley
,...but
I
have
a
feeling
we're
gonna get along really
well.
MR. PHILLIPS:
What is your name?
20
ANNE:
Anne Shirley
.
Anne spelled with an
MR. PHILLIPS:
We pride ourselves on our
scholastic record. And we hope that you will
strive to meet
our standards.
ANNE:
Oh, I'm
sure
I will, Mr. Phillips.
I've
taught children
younger
than
myself to
read before.
And
both my parents were teachers. I'm
positive we'll have a lot in common.
MR. PHILLIPS:
Y
ou will share a seat with
Diana Barry
.
ANNE:
Oh, thank you, Mr.
Phillips. Diana Barry is my bosom friend.
MR. PHILLIPS:
Please take your seat and read your
lesson. I must work with my Queens-student now.
Alright class. Take out your notebooks.
Memorize the dictation from yesterday
.
GILBERT:
Hey
, Carrots. Carrots!
ANNE:
How dare
you!
MR. PHILLIPS:
Anne Shirley! What is the meaning of
this?
GILBERT:
It was my fault, Sir. I was teasing
her.
MR. PHILLIPS:
Y
ou will stand at the
blackboard for the rest of the day
. I
will
not tolerate this kind of
indignant
temperment
in
my
class.
Shirley
...has
a
very
bad
temper.
And
she
will learn to control it.
Y
ou will write this one hundred times
before leaving today
.
GILBERT:
Anne,
wait! I'm sorry for teasing you about your hair.
Don't be mad at me for keeps.
DIANA:
Oh, Anne,
how
could
you? Gilbert always
makes
fun of
the
girls. He calls
me crow-head
all
the time, but I've never heard him
apologize before.
ANNE:
There's
a world of
difference between being called crow-head and
being called carrots. I
shall
never forgive Gilbert Blythe. An iron
has entered my soul, Diana. My mind is made up; my
red
hair is a curse.
MARILLA:
Anne
Shirley
, I've heard all about it. Now
you open your door at once!
ANNE:
Please go away
,
Marilla. I'm in the depths of despair.
MARILLA:
Oh,
fiddlesticks. Now, you open this door at once! Are
you sick?
ANNE:
Go away
. Don't look at me.
MARILLA:
Oh,
don't play innocent with me. I'm so ashamed I
don't know where to begin. What do you
mean by breaking your slate over some
boy's head?
ANNE:
He called me Carrots.
MARILLA:
I
don't
care
what
he
called
you.
Y
ou
have
no
reason
to
lose
your
temper.
Anne
Shirley!
What have you done to your hair?
21
ANNE:
Marilla, I
thought nothing could be as bad as red hair. Green
is ten times worse. Y
ou don't know
how utterly wretched I am.
MARILLA:
I
little know how you got into this fix, but I
demand that you tell me.
ANNE:
I dyed it.
MARILLA:
Y
ou dyed it? For mercy's
sake, child.
ANNE:
But he positively assured me it'd turn
my hair a beautiful raven black.
MARILLA:
Who
did? Who are you talking about?
ANNE:
The peddlar we met on the
road today
.
MARILLA:
I absolutely
forbid
you
to...What's
the
use...Well,
I
hope
that
this
has opened
yo
ur
eyes
to
see where your
vanity has taken you.
ANNE:
Well, what shall I do? I'll never be
able to live this down. I can't face him again.
Gilbert Blythe
had no right to call me
carrots.
MARILLA:
Y
ou really smashed your
slate over that boy's head?
ANNE:
Y
es.
MARILLA:
Hard?
ANNE:
V
ery hard, I'm afraid.
MARILLA:
I
know
I
should
be
angry
.
I
should
be
furious.
What
a
way
to
behave
your
first
day
at
school!
But,
it
you
promise
me
that
nothing
of
this
sort
will
happen
again,
I
won't
say
another word about it.
ANNE:
Y
ou're not gonna send me
back?
MARILLA:
I've come to a decision. The trial is
over. Y
ou will stay at Green Gables.
ANNE:
Marilla! I
think you may be a kindred spirit after all.
ANNE:
I shall
never, ever look at myself again.
MATTHEW:
Well,
you're our girl now, and the prettiest one this
side of Halifax.
MARILLA:
Alright, now. Stop this
nonsense.
ANNE:
Some girls in books lose their hair in
fevers or sell it for money for some good deed.
I'm sure I
wouldn't
have
minded
losing
my
hair
like that. There's
nothing comforting
in
having
your
hair
cut off because you dyed it.
DIANA:
This
is the
very
last
of the Queen Anne's
Lace
for
the summer.
Don't worry
about
your
hair.
No one even notices it anymore.
ANNE:
Everytime
I look at myself I do penance by saying how ugly I
am. I don't even try to imagine it
22
away
.
ANNE:
Diana, aren't you supposed
to be studying?
DIANA:
I know, but I had to talk to you right
away
. That's why I used the white
flags.
ANNE:
Well?
DIANA:
Just
let
me catch
my breath. Mother
thought I
was
upstairs studying, but I
was
in the pantry
getting
some
cookies,...and
I
overheard
her
talking
with
Mrs.
Blair.
They
were
talking
about
what
happened with
you and Gilbert
Blythe,...and
mother said
you
have a disposition just
like
Marilla's. She said
something about Marilla having been betrothed
once, many years ago,...but
because of
a quarrel, she never married, and she's had to
live with her brother ever since.
ANNE:
So that's it!
DIANA:
What?
ANNE:
Poor
Marilla's been thwarted
in
love. It
must
have been
a supremely
tragic romance.
Did
they
say anything else?
DIANA:
No, but
I'll keep my ears open. I have to go, now. Mother
doesn't know I'm gone.
ANNE:
Good luck on the exam
tomorrow.
DIANA:
Y
ou, too. I hope you stand
first.
ANNE:
I
am endebted to you for life.
MR.
PHILLIPS:
Alright,
class.
Time's
up.
Place
your
pencils
beside
your
papers.
I'll
collect
your
papers once everyone
has
left.
However, before
everyone
leaves
for
lunch, I would
like
to
announce
the
mathematics
half-term
results.
The
three
best
standings
are
as
follows... First,
Gilbert
Blythe Second,
Anne Shirley
Third, Prissy Andrews. I think
Miss Andrews has shown excellent
progress under my tutelage. Class dismissed.
DIANA:
He's only
smiling to congratulate you, Anne.
ANNE:
I think he
was trying to rub it in.
BOYS:
Crow-head and Carrots. Load
up, guys. Load up. They won't come; they're
chicken.
DIANA:
I'll take the shortcut through the
pasture, Anne. We can't be late.
ANNE:
Don't be afraid of the
bullies, Diana. We'll be completely civilized and
take the road. I
have
no
intention
of
arriving
out
of
breath
for
our
examination.
Charlie
Sloan,
you
meansly
little
bully, you ought to
be horse-whipped!
MR.
SADLER:
This
will
be the
last
time I catch
you
little
trouble
makers
in
my pasture. These
fields
are not a free-for-all! Y
ou
frighten my cattle to death and they won't be
milked.
23
ANNE:
I've
never
even
set
a
toenail
in
your
pasture
before,
Mr.
Sadler.
I
was
really
attempting
to
avenge
my
bosom
friend,
Diana,
for
being
tortured.
Y
our
cattle
are
such
mournful-looking
creatures,...you can't know how utterly
wretched I feel to have you think I'd frighten
them.
MR. SADLER:
Y
ou'll
feel wretched alright,
missy
,
if I ever
catch
any of
you on
my
land
again!
Now,
hop to it before I tan your
backside! I intend to put a stop to this, once and
for all.
I
don't
know
what
education
on
this
Island
is
coming
to,
Phillips.
Y
ou
are
the
worst
teacher
this school
has ever had.
The order
you keep
is scandalous!
Y
ou're worth
half
of
what
we
pay
you.
And
I
know
for
a
fact
that
you
had
never
got
this
post
if
your
uncle
hadn't be the trustee. I suggest, if you value
your job at all, you'll discipline your
students a little better,...and keep
them out of trouble and out of my fields.
MR. PHILLIPS:
But, Sir.
MR.
SADLER:
Goodday
, to you.
MR. PHILLIPS:
Since you seem to be so fond of the
boys' company
,...we shall indulge your
taste for it
this afternoon.
Take
your seat over
there,
next
to
Gilbert Blythe.
Did
you
hear what
I
said?
ANNE:
Y
es, Sir. But I didn't
suppose you really meant it.
MR.
PHILLIPS:
I
assure
you,
I
did.
Obey
me
at
once.
Alright,
let's
begin
the
spelling
bee.
Miss
Andrews, could you give
us the spelling of the word chrysanthemum?
MISS ANDREWS:
-C
-h -i...no, -r -i -s-a -n -s -m...-u -m.
MR. PHILLIPS:
Perhaps we'll
turn our
attention to
your spelling
now that you
mathematics
is well
in
hand.
Gilbert, chrysanthemum.
GILBERT:
Chrysanthemum. C-h-r-y-s-a-
n-t-h-a-m-u-m.
MR. PHILLIPS:
Hmm. Anne?
ANNE:
Chrysanthemum. C-h-r-y-s-a-
n-t-h-e-m-u-m.
MR. PHILLIPS:
Correct.
JOSIE:
Hey
, Anne! How
do you spell freckles?
ANNE:
Hey
, Josie! How
do you spell ugly?
GILBERT:
Congratulations on the spelling test,
Anne. Oh, well at
least
you're acknowledging
me now.
That's an improvement.
ANNE:
It
is
impolite
to pass a person
without
at
least
nodding,...and so I
nod out
of elementary
good
breeding,
nothing more.
24
GILBERT:
Oh, why don't you get off your high
horse?
ANNE:
Thank you for your heartfelt
congratulations, Mr. Blythe. But allow me to
inform you that next
time I shall be
first in every subject.
DIANA:
Anne! Y
ou've got
more nerve than a fox in a hen house.
ANNE:
I don't
see any need
in being civil
to someone
who chooses to
associate with
the
likes of
Josie
Pye.
DIANA:
Y
ou're just
jealous.
ANNE:
I
am not. Take that back, Diana Barry!
DIANA:
She's
jealous of you. Gilbert told Charlie Sloan that
you are the smartest girl in school, right in
front of Josie.
ANNE:
He did?
DIANA:
He told Charlie that being
smart was better than being good-looking.
ANNE:
I might
have known he meant to insult me.
DIANA:
No, he
didn't.
ANNE:
It
isn't better. I'd
much
rather be pretty than smart.
But at
least I don't
have to cheat
like Josie
does.
DIANA:
She
doesn't have to cheat; she just does it because
she's a Pye.
MR.
PHILLIPS:
First,
I'm
pleased
to
announce...that
Anne
Shirley
and
Gilbert
Blythe
have
tied
for
first place
honors
in
the term
finals. And
now,
the sad
news...
I'm
leaving Avonlea. I
shall
not
be
with
you
in
the
fall...to
guide
your
progress
to
even
greater
heights
of
scholastic
achievement.
Let
us
not
have
tears;
partings
are
a
natural
part
of
life.
To
ease the pain of
this
news,
I
have
glad tidings. We shall
adjourn
early
this afternoon,
make our way
to the Spurgeon
farm,...where Moody's parents
have consented to
host
a celebration in honor of my departure.
MOODY:
Nobody
told me.
MR. PHILLIPS:
Bye.
ALL:
Bye. Bye, Mr. Phillips.
DIANA:
Father
told
mother
that
Mr. Sadler was
going to
get
rid of Mr. Phillips,
no
matter what.
And
appearantly the trustees
are forcing him to leave because of
Prissy
.
ANNE:
I can't help feeling sorry for him,
even though he did spell my name without an
DIANA:
I
wouldn't feel too sorry for him. He's got a
position as a private tutor over in Charlottetown.
25
ANNE:
I
suppose
some
people
consider
it
an
accomplishment
to
walk
a
little
picket
fence,
Diana.
I
knew of
a girl in Marysville who could walk the ridgepole
of a roof.
JOSIE:
I don't believe it.
Y
ou sure couldn't, little Miss
Bookworm.
ANNE:
Oh, couldn't I?
GILBERT:
It's a little
risky
, don't you think, Anne?
ANNE:
Is it
indeed, Mr. Blythe?
JOSIE:
I dare you! I dare you to walk the
ridgepole of Moody's kitchen roof.
DIANA:
Don't do
it, Anne! Never mind her; it's not a fair dare.
ANNE:
I shall
walk that ridgepole or perish.
DIANA:
Oh, Anne! Oh, Anne! Oh, are
you killed? Just say one word and tell me if
you're killed!
ANNE:
No, but I think I've been rendered
unconscious. Thank you, Mr. Blythe.
GILBERT:
Anne,
I'll borrow a carriage and help you home.
ANNE:
That won't
be necessary
. I'm quite capable of
getting there on my own.
GILBERT:
I'm going your
way
. At least let me give you a hand.
ANNE:
Thank you,
Mr. Blythe, but I am going in the opposite
direction. Come along, Diana.
DIANA:
Anne,
you should
have
let him
help
you.
Y
ou're
in
no condition
to walk
home. Of course
you
would take the long route when you've
sprained your ankle.
ANNE:
I
wouldn't
think
of
giving
Gilbert
Blythe
the
satisfaction
of
helping
me!
Why
don't
we
cut
through here? It's a lot shorter.
DIANA:
But you
told me this forest was haunted.
ANNE:
I don't think it's haunted
in daylight.
DIANA:
That doesn't matter; it's always dark
in the forest.
ANNE:
Don't be afraid, Diana.
DIANA:
What kind
of ghosts would you say live in here?
ANNE:
I'm not
sure there are any
. I only
imagined
it
was
haunted because
it seemed so romantic
at the
time.
DIANA:
What is it? Did you see a
ghost?
ANNE:
My
foot caught on something.
DIANA:
Charlie Sloan says that his
grandmother saw his grandfather driving the cows
home last year.
ANNE:
So?
DIANA:
His grandfather died two years ago.
26
ANNE:
There's
supposed
to
be
a
white
lady
who
walked
along
the
riverbank
by
Mr.
Hammond's
sawmill,... wringing her hands and
wailing. Man never actually saw her.
DIANA:
Oh, Anne,
don't.
ANNE:
Perhaps
she
is
now
accompanied
by
Mr.
Hammond,
who's
looking
for
his
lunch.
No,
I
shouldn't have said that.
He may follow me here.
DIANA:
Oh, I'm
scared.
ANNE:
So am I.
Deliciously scared.
Mrs. Hammond said she once
felt
the
ghost of
a
murdered child
creep up
behind her...and lay its icy fingers on her hand.
DIANA:
Charlie's grandmother is a very
religious woman, and I don't think she would lie.
Do you think
there may be ghosts living
in there?
ANNE:
It's alright, Diana. Stop it, Diana,
and help me out!
DIANA:
Why did we ever come in here, Anne? Are
you alright?
ANNE:
I think I've twisted my other ankle.
DIANA:
What are
we gonna do?
ANNE:
Y
ou
mustn't
be
afraid,
Diana.
I'll
be
alright
here.
Run
home,
find
your
father,
and
ask
if
he'll
come back and get me.
DIANA:
If you'd
get carried off by a ghost,
I'd never forgive myself.
ANNE:
Be brave,
Diana. Go.
I shall endure
until your return,...although I may be forced to
faint if my
imagination gets the better
of me.
DIANA:
I
could never be as brave as your are, Anne. Bye-
bye.
MARILLA:
What's happened to her?
MR
BARRY:
No fear, Marilla.
She's alright.
ANNE:
Don't
be
very
frightened,
Marilla.
I
fell
of
the
ridgepole
at
Moody
Spurgeon's,...and
then
I
twisted my
other ankle falling into an old well.
MARILLA:
I should have known
that you'd start the summer this way
,
barely the last day of school.
ANNE:
Marilla,
look on the bright side: I might have broken my
neck. And what would you have done
if
someone dared you to walk a ridgepole?
MARILLA:
I would
have stayed on firm ground and let them dare
away
.
MR BARRY:
Oh, now, Marilla, don't be too hard on
her. I think she's doing a pretty good job being
hard
on herself,...especially
considering that she took first place in the term
results.
ANNE:
Tied for first.
27
MARILLA:
Tied
for
first
place?
My
Anne?
Well,
John
Barry
,
it's
certain
that
she
didn't
injure
her
tongue. Come on!
Y
ou clutter up
the house too much with outside things. Don't we
have
enough flowers right outside our
door?
ANNE:
I
want
the
house
to
look
flowery
to
impress
Diana
when
she
arrives
for
tea.
May
I
use
the
rosebud spray tea set, Marilla?
ANNE:
No.
The
everyday
set
will
do
for
your
company
.
Y
ou
may
have
the
fruitcake
and
the
cherry
preserves,...and
there's
a
bottle
of
raspberry
cordial
on
the
shelf
in
the
kitchen.
Now,
tell
Matthew that Mrs.
Allan will drive
me
back,...but I'll be
late coming back
from the Ladies Aid
Society
,...so you must see
that Matthew and Jerry's supper is laid out for
them.
DIANA:
Good afternoon, Miss Cuthbert.
MARILLA:
Good
afternoon, Diana. Now Anne, I trust that you will
be responsible for your guest.
ANNE:
I'll be the perfect
hostess.
MARILLA:
Have a lovely afternoon, ladies.
DIANA:
It's so
good of you to invite me to tea this afternoon.
ANNE:
Please
come in and make yourself comfortable.
DIANA:
Why thank
you.
ANNE:
How
is your mother?
DIANA:
V
ery
well,
thank
you.
I
saw
Mr.
Cuthbert
hauling
potatoes
to
the
Lilly
Sand's
boat
this
afternoon.
ANNE:
Our crop is quite good. We were
fortunate to have hired Jerry Buote to help us
with the harvest.
DIANA:
Have you picked any apples, yet?
ANNE:
Ever
so
many!
Marilla
has
been
cooking
and
baking
endlessly
.
We
even
have
pies
and
cakes
and
preserves
to
last
us
for
years.
It
isn't
good
manners
to
tell
your
guest
what
you're
serving,...so I won't
tell you what she said we can have to drink.
DIANA:
Oh,
raspberry cordial, right?
Oh, that's my favorite.
ANNE:
Y
ou mean you've had it
before?
DIANA:
Lots of times. Haven't you?
ANNE:
I must
admit, I've never tasted it. But you can have as
much as you like. I have to stir up the fire.
There are so many responsibilities on a
person's mind when they're housekeeping.
DIANA:
It's
awfully nice, Anne. Much better than Mrs. Lynde's.
She brags about hers all the time.
ANNE:
I'm not
surprised it's better. Of course, Marilla is a
famous cook.
28
DIANA:
Doesn't
taste a bit like it.
ANNE:
She's trying to teach
me
how
to cook.
But I assure
you,
Diana, I am a dismal
failure.
There's
no scope of the imagination in
cookery
.
Y
ou simply have to go by the
rules. Last time I made
a
cake,
I
forgot
to
put
the
flour
in
it.
I
was
thinking
out
a
lovely
story
about
us,
Diana.
I
imagined
you were desperately ill with small pox,...when
everyone deserted you, I went boldly
to
your bedside and nursed you back to life. Then I
took small pox and died. And you planted a
rosebush
by
my
grave,...and
watered
it
with
your
tears.
Y
ou
never
ever
forgot
the
friend
of
your youth, who sacrificed her life for
yours. It was such a pathetic story
,
and I was crying so,
that I forgot to
put the flour in the cake. The cake was a dismal
failure. The flour is so essential
to
baking. It bubbled all over the inside of the
stove. It was a mess. Marilla was furious. I don't
wonder. I'm such a trial to her.
DIANA:
Oh, I
feel sick. Oh, I gotta go home.
ANNE:
Diana, you haven't eaten
yet. A piece of cake and another glass of cordial
will be just the thing.
Please, have
some. Diana, you can't be sick! Wake up!
DIANA:
I've got
to go home.
ANNE:
No. Lie down. Y
ou'll feel
better. Now tell me, where did it hurt?
DIANA:
I've got
to go home. Oh, I'm awful dizzy
.
ANNE:
It's
probably the
small pox epidemic. Don't
worry
,
Diana; I'll
never
forsake
you. I'll
nurse
you
back to health. Just
please stay until after tea.
:
What's the
matter, Diana?
RACHEL:
She's drunk!
:
Anne Shirley
, what did you
give my Diana to drink?
ANNE:
Only raspberry cordial,
Mrs. Barry
.
RACHEL:
Cordial, my foot! The girl
smells like Jake Griffith's distillery
.
:
Drunk?
My
daughter
is
drunk?
And
Mrs.
Lynde,
the
chairwoman
of
the
temperance
society
.
Y
ou're a wicked, wicked
girl, Anne Shirley! It was against
my
better judgement
to
let
Diana
associate
with
an
orphan,
and
I
have
been
proven
right.
Diana,
will
never
see
you again. Leave our property at once!
MARILLA:
Drunk?
What on earth did you give her?
ANNE:
Only raspberry cordial. She
had three glasses of it, but I didn't know it
would set her drunk.
MARILLA:
Y
ou certainly
have a genius for trouble. This is current wine,
can't you tell the difference?
29